Piper PA-32-300 N32979
26 February 1997 · Dillingham, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 26 February 1997 at about 19:00 local time, a Piper PA-32-300 registered N32979 was involved in an accident near Dillingham, Alaska, United States. 7 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Dillingham, Alaska, United States
- Nearest airport
- Shannon's Pond
- Coordinates
- 58.8198, -157.8609
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300
- Registration
- N32979
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Bethel
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC97LA030
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Probable cause
the pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for departure, and his inadequate evaluation of the wind conditions. Factors associated with the accident were: a snow/slush covered runway, and a quartering tailwind.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot and 6 passengers were departing a private airstrip on a charter flight with a special VFR clearance. The gravel airstrip was 2,400 feet long, was at an elevation of 80 feet mean sea level, and was oriented on a 110/290 degree magnetic heading. The runway was covered by slushy snow, about 1-1/2 inches deep. The pilot attempted to depart on runway 11, but aborted the takeoff. He then attempted to depart on runway 29. He indicated that about 1/2 of the way down the runway, the airspeed was about 5 knots below takeoff speed. He elected to continue the takeoff, but the airspeed then dropped, and the airplane departed the end of the runway without ever lifting off. The airplane received damage to the engine, nose gear, and firewall. The pilot reported the wind was from the southwest at 15 knots. An official weather reporting station, 3 miles from the accident site, reported the wind was from 160 degrees (true) at 11 knots.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-32 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Jun 1997 | Piper PA-32-300T | Del Norte, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-32-300 | Juneau, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 28 Sep 1997 | Piper PA-32-300 | Stuart Island, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Mar 1997 | Piper PA-32-260 | Lincoln Park, New Jersey, United States | Walter C Corocco | Minor injuries | - |
| 9 Apr 1997 | Piper PA-32-300 | Vincentown, New Jersey, United States | Carl J. Mikuletzky | No injuries | - |
| 16 Apr 1997 | Piper PA-32-300 | Belmar, New Jersey, United States | - | No injuries | - |
All 1,695 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1997 | Cessna 208B | Kasigluk, Alaska, United States | Peninsula Airways Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 3 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-22-160 | Sterling, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Oct 1997 | Cessna 182B | Palmer, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Oct 1997 | Bell 206-B2 | Sutton, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-20 | Naknek, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-12 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |